The thousand names · page 10 of 12
Ślokas 82 to 90
Names 774 to 853
चतुर्मूर्तिःcaturmūrtiḥवंशवर्धनःvaṃśavardhanaḥ
चतुर्मूर्तिश्चतुर्बाहुश्चतुर्व्यूहश्चतुर्गतिः।caturmūrtiścaturbāhuścaturvyūhaścaturgatiḥ|
चतुरात्मा चतुर्भावश्चतुर्वेदविदेकपात्॥ ८२ ॥caturātmā caturbhāvaścaturvēdavidēkapāt|| 82 ||
775चतुर्बाहुःcaturbāhuḥ
He of the four arms
His four arms bear the conch, the discus, the mace and the lotus, ever ready to protect and to give.
ओं चतुर्बाहवे नमःōṃ caturbāhavē namaḥ
776चतुर्व्यूहःcaturvyūhaḥ
Lord of the fourfold array
Vyūha is an array, a ranked order: of the five ways in which the tradition knows Him, this is the one in which He stands in four forms, each with its own work, ready to be approached by the seeker.
ओं चतुर्व्यूहाय नमःōṃ caturvyūhāya namaḥ
777चतुर्गतिःcaturgatiḥ
refuge of four kinds of seekers
Gati is the way and the goal; He is the refuge to which four kinds of people turn, the afflicted, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of wealth and the knower, and He is the way and the goal for all of them.
ओं चतुर्गतये नमःōṃ caturgatayē namaḥ
778चतुरात्माcaturātmā
whole in each of His four forms
Ātmā is the self: in each of the four forms it is the whole Lord Himself, and none is a part of Him or a lesser shape of Him.
ओं चतुरात्मने नमःōṃ caturātmanē namaḥ
779चतुर्भावःcaturbhāvaḥ
source of the four ends of life
Bhāva is being and origin: from Him come the four ends that people seek, righteousness, wealth, enjoyment and release, and release is His gift above them all.
ओं चतुर्भावाय नमःōṃ caturbhāvāya namaḥ
780चतुर्वेदवित्caturvēdavit
knower of the four Vēdas
He knows the four Vēdas to the full, as the One they speak of and the One who made them known; none knows them as He does.
ओं चतुर्वेदविदे नमःōṃ caturvēdavidē namaḥ
781एकपात्ēkapāt
the One whose one quarter is the world
The Vēdas say that all beings together are but one quarter of Him, and the other three quarters are the deathless world beyond; the vastness of the worlds is only a fourth of His glory.
ओं एकपदे नमःōṃ ēkapadē namaḥ
He has four forms and four arms, and stands in the fourfold array; He is the goal of four kinds of seekers, and yet He is whole in each of His four forms. He is the source of the four ends of life and the knower of the four Vēdas; and the whole world is but a quarter of Him.
Bhāvam
Seven of the eight names begin with catur, four, and the śloka counts its fours one after another: forms, arms, array, goal, self, source, Vēdas. The last name then sets a single quarter against all this counting, to say that the Lord who appears in so many fours is greater than all that can be counted.
समावर्तो निवृत्तात्मा दुर्जयो दुरतिक्रमः।samāvartō nivṛttātmā durjayō duratikramaḥ|
दुर्लभो दुर्गमो दुर्गो दुरावासो दुरारिहा॥ ८३ ॥durlabhō durgamō durgō durāvāsō durārihā|| 83 ||
782समावर्तःsamāvartaḥ
Turner of the wheel of births
Āvarta is a turning, and sam- means 'well, fully': the great wheel of time and of births turns rightly by His will, and every soul that goes round it is held in His hand.
ओं समावर्ताय नमःōṃ samāvartāya namaḥ
783निवृत्तात्माnivṛttātmā
untouched by what He sets turning
Nivṛtta is turned back, free of: though He sets the wheel turning, He is untouched by it, and His own self has no attachment to anything that He sets in motion.
ओं निवृत्तात्मने नमःōṃ nivṛttātmanē namaḥ
Points to Nara and Nārāyaṇa
784दुर्जयःdurjayaḥ
hard to conquer
None can overcome Him, whether in battle or in argument; He yields to nothing but the love of His devotees.
ओं दुर्जयाय नमःōṃ durjayāya namaḥ
785दुरतिक्रमःduratikramaḥ
whose command none can cross
Atikrama is stepping beyond: none can overstep the law He has laid down, and none can pass beyond His power of creation except by taking refuge in Him.
ओं दुरतिक्रमाय नमःōṃ duratikramāya namaḥ
786दुर्लभःdurlabhaḥ
hard to gain
Neither wealth nor learning nor austerity can win Him; He is won by single-hearted devotion.
ओं दुर्लभाय नमःōṃ durlabhāya namaḥ
787दुर्गमःdurgamaḥ
hard to reach by one's own effort
Gama is going: the road to Him cannot be walked by one's own strength alone, and the mind cannot trace it, but it lies open to the one whom He draws.
ओं दुर्गमाय नमःōṃ durgamāya namaḥ
788दुर्गःdurgaḥ
the Fortress none can storm
Durga is a fortress hard to enter: to those who shelter in Him He is a stronghold which no enemy can take and no fear can break.
ओं दुर्गाय नमःōṃ durgāya namaḥ
789दुरावासःdurāvāsaḥ
whose abode is hard to reach
Āvāsa is a dwelling: His own supreme abode is hard to enter, and only by His grace does a soul come to dwell there.
ओं दुरावासाय नमःōṃ durāvāsāya namaḥ
790दुरारिहाdurārihā
slayer of the wicked foes
Dur-ari is a foe of evil intent; He puts an end to such enemies, however hard they are to withstand, and so keeps safe those who trust Him.
ओं दुरारिघ्ने नमःōṃ durārighnē namaḥ
He turns the great wheel of time and of births, yet His own self stays untouched by it. He is hard to conquer, and His command cannot be crossed; He is hard to win and hard to reach, a fortress none can storm and a dwelling hard to enter; and He puts an end to the evil-minded foes.
Bhāvam
Seven of the nine names begin with dur, 'hard', and all the hardness lies on the side of pride and enmity. The same Lord who cannot be won by wealth or learning is won by devotion, and the fortress that shuts out His enemies stands open to those who take shelter in Him.
In this verseNara and Nārāyaṇa
शुभाङ्गो लोकसारङ्गः सुतन्तुस्तन्तुवर्धनः।śubhāṅgō lōkasāraṅgaḥ sutantustantuvardhanaḥ|
इन्द्रकर्मा महाकर्मा कृतकर्मा कृतागमः॥ ८४ ॥indrakarmā mahākarmā kṛtakarmā kṛtāgamaḥ|| 84 ||
791शुभाङ्गःśubhāṅgaḥ
of auspicious limbs
Śubha is good and lovely, aṅga a limb: His form is itself a blessing, and the mind that rests on any of His limbs finds peace.
ओं शुभाङ्गाय नमःōṃ śubhāṅgāya namaḥ
792लोकसारङ्गःlōkasāraṅgaḥ
who seeks the essence of the worlds
Sāra is the essence and sāraṅga the bee that goes to the heart of the flower: He goes straight to what is of worth in every being and in all the worlds.
ओं लोकसारङ्गाय नमःōṃ lōkasāraṅgāya namaḥ
793सुतन्तुःsutantuḥ
the fair thread of the worlds
Tantu is a thread; the worlds are strung upon Him as jewels on a thread, and this thread is fine, strong and lovely.
ओं सुतन्तवे नमःōṃ sutantavē namaḥ
794तन्तुवर्धनःtantuvardhanaḥ
who lengthens the thread
Vardhana is making grow: He draws the thread out further, so that the weave of the world goes on and the line of His devotees does not break.
ओं तन्तुवर्धनाय नमःōṃ tantuvardhanāya namaḥ
795इन्द्रकर्माindrakarmā
whose works are a ruler's works
Indra rules the gods and guards them; the works of ruling and guarding are His, and Indra does his own work by His power.
ओं इन्द्रकर्मणे नमःōṃ indrakarmaṇē namaḥ
796महाकर्माmahākarmā
of great works
His works are great in measure and in worth: the making and holding of the worlds, and the gentle work of leading one soul home.
ओं महाकर्मणे नमःōṃ mahākarmaṇē namaḥ
797कृतकर्माkṛtakarmā
whose work is done
All that He had to do is done and nothing remains for Him to gain; when He acts, it is for the sake of others.
ओं कृतकर्मणे नमःōṃ kṛtakarmaṇē namaḥ
798कृतागमःkṛtāgamaḥ
maker of the sacred teaching
Āgama is a sacred tradition, and also a coming; the teaching by which souls learn to worship Him was made by Him, and every coming of His into the world is His own doing.
ओं कृतागमाय नमःōṃ kṛtāgamāya namaḥ
His limbs are all auspicious. Like a bee He goes to the essence of the worlds, and He is the fair thread on which they are strung, the One who lengthens that thread. His works are those of the great Ruler: great works, works already done; and the sacred teaching that tells of Him is His own making.
Bhāvam
The śloka turns on the image of a thread: the worlds are strung on Him, and He draws the thread out. After it come the deeds, great and finished, and last the teaching that lets us know Him, so that He is shown to act, to complete, and to make Himself known.
उद्भवः सुन्दरः सुन्दो रत्ननाभः सुलोचनः।udbhavaḥ sundaraḥ sundō ratnanābhaḥ sulōcanaḥ|
अर्को वाजसनिः शृङ्गी जयन्तः सर्वविज्जयी॥ ८५ ॥arkō vājasaniḥ śṛṅgī jayantaḥ sarvavijjayī|| 85 ||
799उद्भवःudbhavaḥ
He who rises above birth
Ud is 'up' and bhava is becoming, birth: He rises above the round of birth that binds every other being, and He rises into our sight when He wills, to lift us up.
ओं उद्भवाय नमःōṃ udbhavāya namaḥ
800सुन्दरःsundaraḥ
the Beautiful
His beauty is such that the eye which has once seen it wants no other sight, and Śrī, who is Beauty itself, makes Her home upon His breast.
ओं सुन्दराय नमःōṃ sundarāya namaḥ
801सुन्दःsundaḥ
softened with mercy
Sunda is the tender one, softened as a moist thing is softened: He is moved to compassion for every sorrow that is brought to Him.
ओं सुन्दाय नमःōṃ sundāya namaḥ
802रत्ननाभःratnanābhaḥ
of the jewel-bright navel
Ratna is a jewel, nābha the navel: from His lovely navel rose the lotus from which Brahmā came forth to make the worlds.
ओं रत्नाभाय नमःōṃ ratnābhāya namaḥ
803सुलोचनःsulōcanaḥ
of lovely eyes
His eyes are fair and full of grace, like lotus petals, and their glance falls on the humblest with kindness.
ओं सुलोचनाय नमःōṃ sulōcanāya namaḥ
804अर्कःarkaḥ
the Sun, the worshipped One
Arka is the sun, who gives light to the world, and also the one to be worshipped; He is the light by which all things are seen and the One to whom all worship goes.
ओं अर्काय नमःōṃ arkāya namaḥ
805वाजसनिःvājasaniḥ
giver of food and strength
Vāja is food and vigour, sani one who gives: all the nourishment and strength by which beings live are His gift.
ओं वाजसनये नमःōṃ vājasanayē namaḥ
806शृङ्गीśṛṅgī
the horned One
Śṛṅgī is the horned: the tradition recalls Him as the great Fish who, at the time of the flood, bore a horn to which Manu's boat was bound, and so brought the living through the waters.
ओं शृङ्गिणे नमःōṃ śṛṅgiṇē namaḥ
807जयन्तःjayantaḥ
the ever-victorious
He wins every contest and none has ever overcome Him; the victory of the good over evil is always His.
ओं जयन्ताय नमःōṃ jayantāya namaḥ
808सर्वविज्जयीsarvavijjayī
all-knowing and all-conquering
He knows all and conquers all: His victory is that of One who knows, for nothing is hidden from Him and so nothing can take Him by surprise.
ओं सर्वविज्जयिने नमःōṃ sarvavijjayinē namaḥ
He rises above birth, and rises into our sight; He is the Beautiful, softened with mercy, the Lord of the jewel-bright navel and the lovely eyes. He is the Sun that all worship, the giver of food and strength, the horned Fish of the flood, and the ever-victorious One who knows all and conquers all.
Bhāvam
Beauty fills the middle of the śloka, in face, navel and eyes, and each beautiful name is joined to a gift: mercy, the lotus of creation, the light of the sun, food and strength. The close is victory, but a victory that comes from knowing, so that power and tenderness are shown as one.
सुवर्णबिन्दुरक्षोभ्यः सर्ववागीश्वरेश्वरः।suvarṇabindurakṣōbhyaḥ sarvavāgīśvarēśvaraḥ|
महाहृदो महागर्तो महाभूतो महानिधिः॥ ८६ ॥mahāhṛdō mahāgartō mahābhūtō mahānidhiḥ|| 86 ||
809सुवर्णबिन्दुःsuvarṇabinduḥ
the bright point of gold
Suvarṇa is gold or a fair hue and bindu a drop or a point: He is a point of pure golden light, beautiful, precious and without any alloy.
ओं सुवर्णबिन्दवे नमःōṃ suvarṇabindavē namaḥ
810अक्षोभ्यःakṣōbhyaḥ
the Unshakeable
No power can stir or trouble Him, neither enemies nor time nor the upheaval of the worlds; He stays calm, and the soul that rests in Him shares His calm.
ओं अक्षोभ्याय नमःōṃ akṣōbhyāya namaḥ
811सर्ववागीश्वरेश्वरःsarvavāgīśvarēśvaraḥ
Lord of all the lords of speech
The masters of speech are the great ones from whom others learn the word; He is the Lord of every one of them, and every word spoken in the world is His gift.
ओं सर्ववागीश्वरेश्वराय नमःōṃ sarvavāgīśvarēśvarāya namaḥ
812महाहृदःmahāhṛdaḥ
the Great-hearted, deep as a lake
Hṛd is the heart: His heart is great, wide enough to hold every soul, and deep as a great lake in which the weary are cooled and made new.
ओं महाह्रदाय नमःōṃ mahāhradāya namaḥ
813महागर्तःmahāgartaḥ
the immeasurable Depth
Garta is a deep hollow: He is the great depth whose bottom no mind has touched, too deep for any thought to sound.
ओं महागर्ताय नमःōṃ mahāgartāya namaḥ
814महाभूतःmahābhūtaḥ
the Great Being, ever the same
Bhūta is that which is: He is the great Being whom time does not limit, who was, is and will be, and the great elements themselves are His body.
ओं महाभूताय नमःōṃ mahābhūtāya namaḥ
815महानिधिःmahānidhiḥ
the Great Treasure
Nidhi is a store of treasure: He is the great treasure of all that is good, in whom the devotee finds everything worth having, and the store into which the worlds are laid at the end.
ओं महानिधये नमःōṃ mahānidhayē namaḥ
He is the bright point of gold, unshaken by anything, and the Lord of all the lords of speech. His heart is great and deep as a lake; He is the immeasurable Depth, the great Being, and the great Treasure.
Bhāvam
The śloka begins with one gleam of gold and ends with four names that begin with mahā, great: heart, depth, being, treasure. Between the point of light and the measureless store stands the Unshakeable, the calm centre from which the greatness is laid out.
कुमुदः कुन्दरः कुन्दः पर्जन्यः पवनोऽनिलः।kumudaḥ kundaraḥ kundaḥ parjanyaḥ pavanō’nilaḥ|
अमृताशोऽमृतवपुः सर्वज्ञः सर्वतोमुखः॥ ८७ ॥amṛtāśō’mṛtavapuḥ sarvajñaḥ sarvatōmukhaḥ|| 87 ||
816कुमुदःkumudaḥ
the white lily of the moonlight
Kumuda is the white water-lily that opens at the touch of moonlight: at the sight of Him the heart opens as the lily opens, and His coolness takes away the heat of the world.
ओं कुमुदाय नमःōṃ kumudāya namaḥ
817कुन्दरःkundaraḥ
pure as the jasmine
Kunda is the white jasmine, and the name is of that kind: He is spotless as its white and as sweet.
ओं कुन्दराय नमःōṃ kundarāya namaḥ
818कुन्दःkundaḥ
the fragrant jasmine
Kunda is the jasmine itself, the sweet-scented white flower: the fragrance of His glory spreads on every side and draws the soul as scent draws a bee.
ओं कुन्दाय नमःōṃ kundāya namaḥ
819पर्जन्यःparjanyaḥ
the Rain-cloud
Parjanya is the cloud that pours down rain: as the cloud pours water on dry earth without asking whose field it is, so He pours His gifts on all.
ओं पर्जन्याय नमःōṃ parjanyāya namaḥ
820पवनःpavanaḥ
the Wind that purifies
Pavana is the wind, which cleanses what it touches: He purifies those who call upon Him, and is the Wind among all that purify.
ओं पवनाय नमःōṃ pavanāya namaḥ
Points to Vāyu, the Wind
821अनिलःanilaḥ
unconfined, free-moving as the air
Anila is the air; it can also be read as 'without a fixed dwelling', for He is not confined to any one place, every place being in Him, and He moves as freely as the air.
ओं अनिलाय नमःōṃ anilāya namaḥ
Points to Vāyu, the Wind
822अमृताशःamṛtāśaḥ
whose wish is deathlessness
Amṛta is the deathless nectar; it is His delight, and His wish for every soul is that it come to the deathless state.
ओं अमृताशाय नमःōṃ amṛtāśāya namaḥ
823अमृतवपुःamṛtavapuḥ
of deathless body
His form is undying and never changes: it does not age, wane or perish, and it is not made of matter but of the pure light of His own nature.
ओं अमृतवपुषे नमःōṃ amṛtavapuṣē namaḥ
824सर्वज्ञःsarvajñaḥ
the Knower of every heart
He knows everything, from the greatest of worlds to the smallest wish in the smallest heart, and so no prayer has to be explained to Him.
ओं सर्वज्ञाय नमःōṃ sarvajñāya namaḥ
825सर्वतोमुखःsarvatōmukhaḥ
with faces on every side
Wherever one stands, He faces that one: He sees, hears and answers from every side, and no direction is turned away from the one who calls.
ओं सर्वतोमुखाय नमःōṃ sarvatōmukhāya namaḥ
He is the lily that opens to the moonlight, pure and fragrant as the jasmine; He is the cloud that pours rain on all, the wind that purifies, and the air that is housed nowhere because everywhere is in Him. His wish is the deathless life of souls, His body never dies, and He knows all and faces every side.
Bhāvam
Flower, cloud and wind: the first six names borrow their images from the garden and the weather, and all say the same thing, that He gives freely, cools and cleanses. The last four turn to deathless life and to the open face, for He knows every heart and looks toward every one.
In this verseVāyu, the Wind
सुलभः सुव्रतः सिद्धः शत्रुजिच्छत्रुतापनः।sulabhaḥ suvrataḥ siddhaḥ śatrujicchatrutāpanaḥ|
न्यग्रोधोदुम्बरोऽश्वत्थः चाणूरान्ध्रनिषूदनः॥ ८८ ॥nyagrōdhōdumbarō’śvatthaḥ cāṇūrāndhraniṣūdanaḥ|| 88 ||
826सुलभःsulabhaḥ
He who is easily reached
From su, easily, and labh, to obtain: He is won without difficulty by anyone who comes to Him in love. He does not hold Himself away; with Śrī beside Him He welcomes whoever takes refuge.
ओं सुलभाय नमःōṃ sulabhāya namaḥ
827सुव्रतःsuvrataḥ
He of the excellent vow
His vow is the best of vows: to guard whoever comes to Him for refuge, and He has never gone back on it. All His undertakings, from making the world to protecting it, are good and carried through.
ओं सुव्रताय नमःōṃ suvratāya namaḥ
828सिद्धःsiddhaḥ
the ever-accomplished One
He is complete in Himself and needs no help to accomplish anything. He is Himself the means that is ever ready, so that those who hold to Him need hold to nothing besides.
ओं सिद्धाय नमःōṃ siddhāya namaḥ
829शत्रुजित् शत्रुतापनःśatrujit śatrutāpanaḥ
Conqueror and scorcher of foes
He overcomes those who stand against dharma and against His devotees. The heat of His power burns out their strength, so that they cannot harm the good.
ओं शत्रुजिच्छत्रुतापनाय नमःōṃ śatrujicchatrutāpanāya namaḥ
830न्यग्रोधः उदुम्बरःnyagrōdhaḥ udumbaraḥ
the Banyan and the Sacred Fig
Nyagrōdha is the banyan, whose branches spread wide and whose roots come down to the ground to shelter many beneath it; udumbara is the sacred fig of the sacrifice, and its name can be read as 'above the sky'. He is the shelter of all and higher than the highest.
ओं न्यग्रोधोदुम्बराय नमःōṃ nyagrōdhōdumbarāya namaḥ
831अश्वत्थःaśvatthaḥ
the Aśvattha, the holy pipal
The aśvattha is the pipal, the holy tree that stands first among trees. In the Gītā Kṛṣṇa says that among trees He is the aśvattha.
ओं अश्वत्थाय नमःōṃ aśvatthāya namaḥ
832चाणूरान्ध्रनिषूदनःcāṇūrāndhraniṣūdanaḥ
Slayer of the wrestler Cāṇūra
Cāṇūra, named here as of the Āndhra country, was Kaṃsa's champion wrestler. In the arena at Mathurā Kṛṣṇa struck him down, ending the strength that served cruelty.
ओं चाणूरान्ध्रनिषूदनाय नमःōṃ cāṇūrāndhraniṣūdanāya namaḥ
Points to Cāṇūra
He is easy to reach, and true to His good vow; He is the ever-accomplished One, the conqueror of foes who scorches them with His power. He shelters all as the banyan does and is the udumbara above the sky, and He is the aśvattha, the holy pipal. He is the One who struck down Cāṇūra, the wrestler of Āndhra, in Kaṃsa's arena.
Bhāvam
The śloka begins with nearness: He is easy to reach, faithful to His vow, already accomplished as the means. The trees are images of shelter, and the last name shows that the shelter has strength in it, for He overthrows the cruel champion so that the helpless may be safe.
In this verseCāṇūra
सहस्रार्चिः सप्तजिह्वः सप्तैधाः सप्तवाहनः।sahasrārciḥ saptajihvaḥ saptaidhāḥ saptavāhanaḥ|
अमूर्तिरनघोऽचिन्त्यो भयकृद्भयनाशनः॥ ८९ ॥amūrtiranaghō’cintyō bhayakṛdbhayanāśanaḥ|| 89 ||
833सहस्रार्चिःsahasrārciḥ
He of a thousand rays
Arci is a flame or a ray, and a thousand of them go out from Him, as from the sun. All that shines borrows its light from His, and He is the Self within the sun who gives it its shining.
ओं सहस्रार्चिषे नमःōṃ sahasrārciṣē namaḥ
Points to Sūrya, the Sun
834सप्तजिह्वःsaptajihvaḥ
He of the seven tongues
The sacrificial fire is spoken of as having seven tongues of flame, with which it carries the offerings to the gods. He is the Self of that fire and the One who receives every offering through it.
ओं सप्तजिह्वाय नमःōṃ saptajihvāya namaḥ
Points to Agni, Fire
835सप्तैधाःsaptaidhāḥ
He of the seven kindled flames
Edhas is fuel, and the flame that feeds on it: the fire has seven such flames, and He is the One who blazes in all of them.
ओं सप्तैधसे नमःōṃ saptaidhasē namaḥ
Points to Agni, Fire
836सप्तवाहनःsaptavāhanaḥ
He of the seven steeds
The sun's chariot is drawn by seven horses. As the Self of the sun He is the one whom these steeds carry across the sky each day.
ओं सप्तवाहनाय नमःōṃ saptavāhanāya namaḥ
Points to Agni, Fire
837अमूर्तिःamūrtiḥ
the One without a material form
He has no body of matter, shaped by karma and bound by it, as ours are. The forms He takes are His own choice, made of pure radiance, and Śrī is never apart from Him in any of them.
ओं अमूर्तये नमःōṃ amūrtayē namaḥ
838अनघःanaghaḥ
the Faultless, free of sorrow
Agha means fault and also pain, and there is neither in Him. Because He is free of both, nothing but good comes from Him to whoever draws near.
ओं अनघाय नमःōṃ anaghāya namaḥ
839अचिन्त्यःacintyaḥ
He who is beyond thought
The mind cannot take His measure or reason out what He is; He is known as He shows Himself in the scriptures and in His grace. Though no thought can contain Him, loving thought can reach Him.
ओं अचिन्त्याय नमःōṃ acintyāya namaḥ
840भयकृत्bhayakṛt
He who creates fear
For those who walk the path of adharma, the thought of His justice brings fear, and the fear turns them back from the wrong. Even this is His kindness, for it guards the good and calls the wayward home.
ओं भयकृते नमःōṃ bhayakṛtē namaḥ
841भयनाशनःbhayanāśanaḥ
Destroyer of all fear
To those who follow dharma, and to all who take refuge in Him, He is the end of fear, of the fear of the world's round and of death. Whoever has found Him has nothing left to be afraid of.
ओं भयनाशनाय नमःōṃ bhayanāśanāya namaḥ
He has a thousand rays; He is the seven-tongued fire with its seven kindled flames, and the Self of the sun whom seven steeds carry. He has no body of matter, He is faultless and He is beyond thought. He brings fear to those who go the wrong way, and He destroys the fear of those who come to Him.
Bhāvam
The first four names show Him as light and fire, in the sun and in the sacrifice, each shining by His power. Then the śloka turns inward to what He is: bodiless as matter goes, faultless, beyond thought. Its last pair holds His justice and His mercy together: fear for those who turn from dharma, an end of fear for those who turn to Him.
In this verseSūrya, the SunAgni, Fire
अणुर्बृहत्कृशः स्थूलो गुणभृन्निर्गुणो महान्।aṇurbṛhatkṛśaḥ sthūlō guṇabhṛnnirguṇō mahān|
अधृतः स्वधृतः स्वास्यः प्राग्वंशो वंशवर्धनः॥ ९० ॥adhṛtaḥ svadhṛtaḥ svāsyaḥ prāgvaṃśō vaṃśavardhanaḥ|| 90 ||
842अणुःaṇuḥ
the Subtle, finer than the atom
He is so fine that He enters the smallest atom and abides within it as its Self. Nothing is too small for Him to dwell in.
ओं अणवे नमःōṃ aṇavē namaḥ
843बृहत्bṛhat
the Vast, beyond all measure
From bṛh, to grow great: He is vast beyond measure and makes all else grow. Nothing is greater than He, and nothing that He has made grows without Him.
ओं बृहते नमःōṃ bṛhatē namaḥ
844कृशःkṛśaḥ
the Slight, the Slender
Kṛśa is slight and fine: He is too subtle for the senses to hold, and no heaviness of matter clings to Him. The slender and the vast are both His, and neither limits Him.
ओं कृशाय नमःōṃ kṛśāya namaḥ
845स्थूलःsthūlaḥ
the Massive, whose body is the world
As the whole universe, great and solid, He is sthūla, the gross; the world and all its beings are His body. He is as near as the earth we stand on.
ओं स्थूलाय नमःōṃ sthūlāya namaḥ
846गुणभृत्guṇabhṛt
Bearer of all qualities
He sustains the guṇas of nature, sattva, rajas and tamas, by which the world works, and He bears every excellence as His own. All good qualities rest in Him as in their home.
ओं गुणभृते नमःōṃ guṇabhṛtē namaḥ
847निर्गुणःnirguṇaḥ
Untouched by nature's guṇas
Though He upholds the guṇas, none of them binds or stains Him; He is free of every fault and every base quality. The name does not mean that He has no qualities, for the auspicious ones are without number in Him.
ओं निर्गुणाय नमःōṃ nirguṇāya namaḥ
848महान्mahān
the Great One
None is greater: He is great in being, in knowledge and in power, and great in the love that stoops to the lowest of His own. His greatness shows most in how near He comes.
ओं महते नमःōṃ mahatē namaḥ
849अधृतःadhṛtaḥ
He whom none upholds
Dhṛta is held or supported, and He is held by nothing, for it is He who holds up the earth, the heavens and all beings. All things lean on Him; He leans on none.
ओं अधृताय नमःōṃ adhṛtāya namaḥ
850स्वधृतःsvadhṛtaḥ
upheld by His own self
He stands on His own self alone and needs no other support. His strength is His own, and from it He upholds the worlds.
ओं स्वधृताय नमःōṃ svadhṛtāya namaḥ
851स्वास्यःsvāsyaḥ
He of the beautiful face
Su and āsya: of the fair face. The loveliness of His face, with Śrī beside Him, is what the devotee longs most to see.
ओं स्वास्याय नमःōṃ svāsyāya namaḥ
852प्राग्वंशःprāgvaṃśaḥ
He of the most ancient line
Prāk is before and vaṃśa is a lineage: His is the oldest of families, for His line was there before the world began. All other lines, of kings, sages and teachers, come after His.
ओं प्राग्वंशाय नमःōṃ prāgvaṃśāya namaḥ
853वंशवर्धनःvaṃśavardhanaḥ
He who makes the line grow
He makes families and lines flourish: those who serve Him find their houses and the generations after them increasing in good. The family of His devotees grows because He wills it.
ओं वंशवर्धनाय नमःōṃ vaṃśavardhanāya namaḥ
He is subtler than the atom and yet vast; slight and fine, and yet massive, for the world itself is His body. He bears the qualities of nature and every excellence, though no quality that binds can touch Him, and He is the Great One. None holds Him up, for He is upheld by His own self. His face is lovely; His is the oldest of lines, and He makes the line of His own grow.
Bhāvam
The names are set in pairs: the fine and the vast, the slight and the massive, the bearer of qualities and the One free of them, the unsupported and the self-supported. They do not contradict one another; each shows that no single measure holds Him. The śloka closes on warm things, a face and a family.
Text: prapatti.com, Śrīmad Āṇḍavan Āśramam edition prepared by Sunder Kidāmbi. Sources.